Do politics and hospitality mix? New travel-networking site Airbed&Breakfast certainly thinks so. The site - which allows users to rent out a spare room, or airbed, to paying travellers - has put the US election at its core. Not just encouraging users to make a donation to one of the presidential candidates, it is even selling its own limited-edition breakfast cereals – Obama Os and Cap'n McCains.

But will the politics come to an end after the polling booths across the US close tonight? I see trouble ahead.

On the surface, Airbed&breakfast is a great idea. Travellers get a more local experience; hosts get a bit of extra cash. However, you can already do this for free through sites such as Couchsurfing.com and HospitalityClub.org. Once you start introducing monetary exchanges, it's a whole different ballgame.

For one thing, the host can set any fee they like from $20 to, gulp, $3,000. Personally, I'd be expecting a floating airbed dipped in gold for the latter. So, where can you turn if the accommodation falls dramatically short of what the picture and blurb imply?

Not to Airbed&Breakfast, that's for sure. "If an accommodation is not provided as listed, your sole remedy is to provide feedback on your host via the Service," they say. And, while you live and learn, they still reap their 5-12% commission.

Of course, when it works, everyone's a winner and the site is already building a following. Its biggest strength lies in specifically targeting the events market: when hotels are completely saturated, they suggest finding a local home instead. During the Democratic convention in Denver, over 300 locals opened their homes to site members.

As the credit crunch takes hold, we could be seeing a lot more makeshift B&Bs. The UK equivalent could be crashpadder.com, which is still in its early stages. But are these sites a good idea? I think I'd be more inclined to opt for either Couchsurfing or a professional B&B agency. And if I did use Airbed&Breakfast to act as a host, I wouldn't be serving up Obama Os or Cap'n McCains. Not at $39 a box.

So, would you pay to stay in someone's home? Would you consider hosting travellers for payment? Has anyone used Airbed&Breakfast and can share their experiences?

· Vicky Baker's blog goinglocaltravel.com covers all things to do with hospitality tourism and local travel